Ron Barassi

[LT Smash]

I recall the 1979 season, North recruited very well, Ebert, Cornes, Bryant to name the big ones. The talk around the VFL wasnt about who would be in the GF , it was about who would be playing NM in the GF. pity we got rolled & didnt make it, not sure if we even made the prelim either. The dream run of playing in 6 straight GFs was over. Not sure if that has been equalled since (maybe hawthorn in the 80;s??) . Then the drought began & was finally broken in 96!!

We played the prelim and got beaten thanks largely to Peter Moore's tactic of wrestling with our dominant ruckman Gary Dempsey all game. The VFL changed the ruck laws due to that one game and the unsightly situation of centre bounces with the ball dropping and bouncing a second time while both rucks held each other in a bear hug. It was Russell Ebert's last game in the VFL. He'd had an exceptional season, but was denied Dempsey's silver service delivery and had little impact on the game. We'd beaten Collingwood 3 times in 1979 so the result was a shock.

 

[Valian]

We played the prelim and got beaten thanks largely to Peter Moore's tactic of wrestling with our dominant ruckman Gary Dempsey all game. The VFL changed the ruck laws due to that one game and the unsightly situation of centre bounces with the ball dropping and bouncing a second time while both rucks held each other in a bear hug. It was Russell Ebert's last game in the VFL. He'd had an exceptional season, but was denied Dempsey's silver service delivery and had little impact on the game. We'd beaten Collingwood 3 times in 1979 so the result was a shock.

ok thanks for clearing that one up

 

[Kimbo]

We played the prelim and got beaten thanks largely to Peter Moore's tactic of wrestling with our dominant ruckman Gary Dempsey all game.

I still get angry when I remember that game. Thanks snrub.

 

[Valian]

We played the prelim and got beaten thanks largely to Peter Moore's tactic of wrestling with our dominant ruckman Gary Dempsey all game. The VFL changed the ruck laws due to that one game and the unsightly situation of centre bounces with the ball dropping and bouncing a second time while both rucks held each other in a bear hug. It was Russell Ebert's last game in the VFL. He'd had an exceptional season, but was denied Dempsey's silver service delivery and had little impact on the game. We'd beaten Collingwood 3 times in 1979 so the result was a shock.

could we have beaten Carlton if we had of made it to the GF??

 

[Twinkletoes]

could we have beaten Carlton if we had of made it to the GF??

Bloody oath we could've. We had a gun side, had been the dominant side for most of the decade, and we had the motivation of having lost to the Hawks in '78.

Such a bloody shame we just lost that prelim.

 

[Mr Reliable]

Bloody oath we could've. We had a gun side, had been the dominant side for most of the decade, and we had the motivation of having lost to the Hawks in '78.

Such a bloody shame we just lost that prelim.

The patheticality of the umpiring that day contributed to my hatred of those idiots.

All day long Moore initiated contact at the ball ups and throw-ins, wrestled Dempsey to the ground and got away with it.

Too gutless to do their job.

I can't remember who they were. The North (and Barassi) haters of that era were Prancing Ian Robinson and Kevin Smirker Smith. It might have been those two scumbags.

 

[LT Smash]

The patheticality of the umpiring that day contributed to my hatred of those idiots.

All day long Moore initiated contact at the ball ups and throw-ins, wrestled Dempsey to the ground and got away with it.

Too gutless to do their job.

I can't remember who they were. The North (and Barassi) haters of that era were Prancing Ian Robinson and Kevin Smirker Smith. It might have been those two scumbags.

For those too young to remember or to have seen the game, this was before there was a line across the centre circle so ruckmen could stand alongside each other and wrestle at every centre bounce. As a result, every ball up was like watching David Hale going for a mark in the goal square. It was obvious his opponent was scragging him to the ground, but because he was also wrestling, the umpire ignored it. Like Hale, Dempsey was too dumb to just put his arms up in the air, avoid wrestling, and draw the free kick. Sure the umpires should have seen the infringements anyway, but by grappling and wrestling, it gives them an out clause. What's amazing is that no-one ever thought of the third man up tactic back then.

 

[Mr Reliable]

^^^^^

It's interesting you mention the third man up tactic. I seem to recall Barass employing it in 77 with players like Icke and Sutton on occasions. Icke did it with Big Mick Nolan and it might have been noted in The Coach. I haven't seen the book for 25 years so maybe/maybe not.

I hate criticising the coach but I suspect that by 1979 he was becoming a bit tired and jaded at North anyway.

If he had used third man up previously he didn't think to use it in 1979 when it probably would have made all the difference.

 

[desie]

I recall the 1979 season, North recruited very well, Ebert, Cornes, Bryant to name the big ones. The talk around the VFL wasnt about who would be in the GF , it was about who would be playing NM in the GF. pity we got rolled & didnt make it, not sure if we even made the prelim either. The dream run of playing in 6 straight GFs was over. Not sure if that has been equalled since (maybe hawthorn in the 80;s??) . Then the drought began & was finally broken in 96!!

Not to mention Gary Dempsey and John Murphy.

In my mind '79 ranks with '98 as the one that got away.

I don't think we've ever put out a better side than the one we did that year.

 

[Dutton Peabody]

Not to mention Gary Dempsey and John Murphy.

In my mind '79 ranks with '98 as the one that got away.

I don't think we've ever put out a better side than the one we did that year.

I consider 1978 to be the best side we have ever had on paper. Glendinning came into the team after having to sit out 1977 and Snake Baker looked set for a 100 goal season, his marking in the 1978 GF showed how good he was. Then disaster, David Dench did his knee at Waverley in the first game against Hawthorn and instead of Glendinning settling in with the best ever full back he had to carry a lot of the backline. Even with Crackers doing a Carman we got within 3 goals of Hawthorn in the GF.

 

[see see]

I think there was a book called "The Coach" about the 1977 season at North Melbourne.

Beg, borrow or steal this. It's a ripping read and is my alltime favourite book about sports. I've read it countless times (primarily due to the fact it's relatively short and contains lots of pictures). Great ending too.